


Cover Story

by TaleasOldasTimeandSpace



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Crack, F/M, Fluff, Riya is stinkin' adorable and deserves only good things, Riya ships it, garcy, it...got away from me, pure unadulterated crack, really just an excuse for Rufus to make one (1) joke, riya - Freeform, the thinnest of plots, this was supposed to be a quickie drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 05:18:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16257458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleasOldasTimeandSpace/pseuds/TaleasOldasTimeandSpace
Summary: When you're fighting to save history from shadowy organizations, you have to take your amusements where you can find them.Rufus is a master of this art.





	Cover Story

**Author's Note:**

> In the best Hobbit tradition, a birthday present from me to you <3

If asked, no one would be able to say how it started.  There wasn’t anything as formal as a spreadsheet or rotation system.  But sometime after Rufus was alive-agained, there was a clear understanding that they would take turns choosing aliases and cover stories.

It was all subject to Lucy's approval, of course, since she was accepted as the final authority on whether said cover would actually work for the mission.  As they all got a better feel for history, Lucy's tweaks became less drastic.  Wyatt's stories were usually the least involved, and generally featured the names of Nascar drivers.  Jiya and Flynn had a flair for improv.  Jiya tended to draw names from television, while Flynn's were a bit more...period appropriate.  And Rufus... Well.  It was possible that Rufus got just a _little_ too into the whole thing.

Jiya suspected he missed writing D&D campaigns.  He'd never admit it, of course, but the thick binder of names and scenarios he kept under their bed said otherwise.

It was Rufus’ turn today.

Lucy had determined they needed to infiltrate an embassy ball in early twentieth century New York.  Rufus practically _skipped_ to the Lifeboat, more excited than the time he'd dragged Jiya with him to opening night of Episode VIII.  Jiya was slightly taken aback—eagerness to time travel wasn't exactly his track record.  But now he was all but vibrating in his seat as he worked the switches of the Lifeboat.

She raised an eyebrow as she strapped in, Lucy and Flynn murmuring in the background.  ‘So you look weirdly happy about this.'

He grinned at her.  ‘My love, this is gonna be good.'

* * *

 

Jiya managed to hold it together through most of his explanation.  She didn’t laugh when he told them he’d be attending the ball as T’Challa, on a diplomatic visit to the States from his kingdom of Wakanda—in a credible Wakandan accent, no less.  She was touched by her own cover as his fiancee, Natasha Romanov, and by the fact that he remembered their discussion about favourite Avengers from back when they first started dating (though a little warning would have been nice; she could have brushed off her college Russian.  Klingon wasn’t going to cut it against someone who actually knew the language).

‘Flynn,’ Rufus said, pointing to the Murder Ent, ‘you’ll be my bodyguard, Frank Castle, and Lucy,’ his finger shifted to their reigning history queen, ‘you’ll be my press attache, Karen Page.’

Jiya lost it.  She sagged against Rufus, snickering hysterically while Lucy and Flynn eyed each other in concern.  They obviously had no idea the source material Rufus was drawing from, which just made it funnier. And okay, maybe it wasn’t in the best of taste, but she’d stopped caring about what was appropriate somewhere between being stranded in the past and having her boyfriend come back from the dead.  Good taste was overrated anyway.

‘Um, Jiya?’ Lucy asked cautiously.  ‘You okay?’

‘Fine, I’m fine,’ she wheezed.

‘Oookay.’  Lucy took Flynn’s arm and hooked a thumb over her shoulder.  ‘Garcia and I are going to steal some clothes. We’ll let you, uh, recover.’

It was still weird hearing Lucy call Flynn by his first name.

When she finally caught her breath, she squinted at Rufus, who was trying not to grin like a loon and failing miserably.  ‘Man, Rufus, I didn’t know you shipped Kastle.’

He shrugged.  ‘What can I say, they have chemistry.  And I’m feeling a lot more tolerant toward scary murder machines with questionable moral codes since one of them helped bring me back from the dead.  I guess becoming a zombie mellowed me.’

She snorted, rolling her eyes.  ‘You’re _not_ a zombie, Rufus.’

Waggling his eyebrows, he leaned closer.  _‘Braaaains,’_ he moaned theatrically, nuzzling her ear.

She shoved at him, giggling, and he leaned down to plant a messy kiss on her smile.

‘They make me feel old.’  Flynn’s voice probably should have made them jump apart, but again.  So past caring.  Although she hadn’t realized they’d spent quite that long making out in front of the Lifeboat.

Lucy swatted his arm.  ‘They’re adorable, you’re just grumpy.  But, ah, if you’re finished, we’ve got clothes,’ she added, holding up a bundle of cloth.

‘Yay, dress-up,’ Rufus deadpanned.  ‘Please tell me you got me a tux,’ he added, making grabby hands at the clothes Flynn carried.  ‘The king of Wakanda does not appear in the getup I usually have to wear on these missions.’

Jiya paused in shaking out the dress Lucy handed her to raise an eyebrow at him.  ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a catsuit?’

‘Catsuit.  You’re hilarious.’

‘Yes, yes I am.’

* * *

The ball was the most fun she’d had on a mission since that first one to 1981 DC.  Dancing the night away with Rufus in a glittering ballroom made for a nice change from the usual routine of lurking in back alleys or servants’ quarters.  It was amazing what a little fake royalty could do for one’s image.  The king of Wakanda charmed the socialites, and Jiya brought out her best slightly-murdery Black Widow, backed up by three years shutting down bar fights and observing Flynn in his natural habitat.

And if she drank a little too much champagne in the course of the evening, well, she had to do _something_ to keep from blowing their cover by laughing any time somebody referenced Mr. Castle or Miss Page.  Self-defense, really.

Later, after Emma slunk back to the Mothership muttering _ curses _ and _ foiled again, _ Jiya grinned at Rufus as they followed Lucy and Flynn to the Lifeboat.  ‘You're pretty good at this, your majesty.’

‘I couldn't have pulled it off without my favourite spy/assassin.  Spyssasin?’

She nodded, face bland.  ‘Yeah, Flynn really came through, didn't he?’

What?  No! I meant  _ you, _ not Flynn.’  Rufus looked like he’d swallowed a lemon.  ‘Black Widow, remember?’

She laughed.  ‘I know what you meant, I was just messing with you.’  Taking his arm, she leaned her head on his shoulder. ‘Dork.’

‘Your dork.’

‘Yeah.  My dork.’

**Author's Note:**

> Rufus and Jiya make Lucy and Flynn watch the Marvel Netflix verse, especially the Punisher-related stuff. Lucy has to talk Flynn out of spray-painting a bullet-proof vest.
> 
> This story brought to you by my birthday (usually I post a Balrog 'verse story, but this was what happened instead), my falling into a new ship (Kastle) and [Agentmarymargaretskitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz), who, when I came whining to her about said ship, said it 'fits your shipping profile.' Add in the fact that Kastle gives me all the Garcy feels and the desperate need for Rufus to call Flynn the Punisher at least once, and there you go.
> 
> Come say hi on [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/taleasoldastime-andspace)!


End file.
